Illegal Gold Mining Rises in South Tapanuli, Director General of Law Enforcement Outlines Action Plan
The Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Ditjen Gakkum) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has revealed its measures to handle illegal mining activities (PETI) in the South Tapanuli (Tapsel) region, North Sumatra.
The Director General of ESDM Law Enforcement, Rilke Jeffri Huwae, stated that the approach to managing illegal mines in South Tязви is distinct. The government is not only taking enforcement action against unauthorised mining activities but is also preparing economic alternatives for the communities that have historically relied on such activities for their livelihoods.
“We were recently in South Tapanuli regarding these illegal mining activities, and our concept is different. It is somewhat different because we are presenting a comprehensive concept,” he said during an interview at TMP Kalibata on Tuesday (29/09/2026).
Jeffri mentioned that the ESDM Law Enforcement Directorate is also collaborating with several parties to handle illegal mining in the area, including the mining company PT Agincourt Resources and the local government.
According to him, a law enforcement approach that prioritises only punitive measures is insufficient to resolve the issue of illegal mining. He believes the state must also provide economic solutions to the communities affected by enforcement actions.
“We are preparing new economic aspects for them. I believe this is more effective than merely conducting conservative enforcement, where people are pursued and so on. The state’s presence should not be like that. The state must provide both enforcement and solutions. That is what we are doing,” he said.
When asked about the number of illegal mines in the area surrounding Agincourt, Jeffri noted that unauthorised mining activities in the region are quite numerous. However, he did not provide exact figures regarding the number of illegal mining sites or the production levels resulting from these activities.
“We do not count them. There isn’t just one spot. Nationally, it is said there is 150 tonnes, but that is spread across Indonesia. We cannot specifically say it is [only] at Agincourt,” he added.